The world is ending
by 6Fortius9
Summary: OC fic. Twenty years before the apocalypse, a young boy stumbled upon the dark truth and was recruited into the potential candidates of Team Summer A. When he finds himself in the future, what will he accomplish?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

-x-

\- 'It's very unfortunate that I have to say this, but the world is going to end today.' – Kagerou Project, Headphone Actor

-x-

'_The world will be ending at least twenty years from now, many experts has postulated; on the x-day on the year 20XX, the meteorites will be expected to collide with our planet Earth, denting holes more than several kilometres wide into the ground. So far, we have tried many methods of redirecting the meteorites' directions; however, due to the great distance between us and them, all methods were unsuccessful. Breaking the meteorites only increases their numbers, and hence adaptation will be humanity's only guaranteed means of survival.'_

Red eyes flickered passed the words, lidded heavily with exhaustion and boredom. Sighing lazily, the young boy of no older than eleven slouched in his seat, slipping his pale fingers through bright golden hair, frustrated by the current situation.

Already, that was the seventeenth network of the government's which he had hacked into today, and all of them – even this one of the presidential candidate – pretty much repeated the same thing in different words – The world was ending.

What a joke all this was. Someone must have really made the President go off his rocker to have the whole country's top authorities under the illusion that meteorites will be hitting the planet anytime soon. For heavens' sake, if the meteorites are too far off to be destroyed, how the hell did the astronomers even see them coming? Moreover, since the Earth is constantly orientating around the sun, how are they so sure that the meteorites will hit Earth, and not just the other side of the Sun?

Red eyes leapt up to the word _'CONFIDENTIAL' _written in bold letters and promptly groaned.

What's even worse was that the government was restricting the truth from the mass media and mobilizing in the shadows. If they were to open it up to discussion, perhaps the public will be able to ease their delusions once and for all, but nooo…They're planning to splurge all taxes on secret plans that may not even be put into action. And if this was revealed to public…

The blond child tousled his hair in irritation.

All this thinking was certainly wasting away his brain cells, and he cared not for some pathetic delusions of a bunch of old trout. As cold as it was, the web is spun, and the government has landed itself in a precarious situation. He doubted anybody could help them out now.

"How troublesome." He sighed, pushing his chair back.

People and their perky, selfish, and mostly _troublesome_ survival instincts. Stupid humans and their society. If only the meteorites will hit earth and wipe out the whole of the overpopulated humanity, including him, then perhaps the world will become a better place.

"Stupid." He slammed his hand down.

And the coke toppled and gushed out, not unlike the muddied blood of a day old, slaughtered cow.

"Shit!" The blond child leapt up, gazing at the mess, distraught. He moaned aloud. "Great, Natsuki, _brilliant_. What the _hell_ have you just done?"

If that sister of his sees this again, he could only imagine the things that she would do to him now. Subconsciously, a hand flew up to the red muffler around his neck, fingering the old wound as he always does when he was thinking. His mind wandered back to the most recent experience – The darkness was swallowing him whole, the fingers digging into his neck as he gulped for breath, smirking at her weakly…

A switch in colours caught his attention.

Red eyes flashed up, latching on to the nearest distraction he could find.

"_Project 7 Seeds: Team Summer." _He mouthed as he read.

That was different from the other networks.

Brows furrowed in concentration, he scrolled down the pop up, not knowing that in that very moment, someone in a distant area has caught his onto tail, stalking him all too close for comfort.

-x-

The clock restarted just like yesterday.

He followed his daily routine, waking up to the dull ringing of his alarm, dressing up for a much dreaded day and ignoring his drunken sister on the couch as he headed off for school. 'Ittekimasu' was not spoken, like the usual, and he replaced the impeccable mask of fake perfection once he reached school.

Popular, smart, and athletic Tsukiyomi Natsuki is he now, one of the many masks he had donned on for himself over the years. And he masterfully willed himself to put aside the happenings of yesterday and warm that chilling sense of numbness that was still present at the pit of his stomach, eating away at his calm visage.

_Gross. Despicable. …Cannibalism. He closed his eyes, steeling himself for more of this._

Red eyes dodged to the window and mildly widened when he caught sight of several men in black surrounding the school.

It should not be surprising at all, really. Considering the innumerable times he had hacked into the government's network, extracted several 'confidential' information, even set up his own bug there to alter some things…frankly, it would be more surprising that they still have not caught on to his tracks.

But…how troublesome.

Natsuki exhaled in boredom.

He was most probably in trouble with the government now…No, cancel that, he _is_ in trouble with the government, and they would probably alert his sister of this. Perhaps they would then pay a ransom for them to keep their mouths shut, or mysteriously spirit them away, or even get rid of Natsuki only to keep the truth disclosed…

Death.

He calmly smiled to himself.

How _exciting_.

"Yo, Natsu!" A hand slung over his shoulders roughly made him tense.

The blond boy stonily glanced back at the brunette greeting him, getting grumpier when he met the eyes of his self-proclaimed best friend. As the only one who knows his true personality, the brunette is more of a threat to him than any other person.

"Akio." He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hm?" Akio raised a brow dubiously, as if finding something puzzling. "That's strange, did'cha wake up on the wrong side of the bed? You're greeting me coldly now." Adding in a whisper, blue eyes bore into him sharply. "Your mask's slipping, Natsu."

He sighed at the reminder, brushing the other boy away.

"I am simply a bit worn out." He faked a sweet smile to reassure his other classmates.

"Were you up all night with that hobby of yours?" Akio's tone turned reproaching. It was obvious to them both what he was referring to.

"I was just allowing my curiosity to lead me along." Natsuki reasoned.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Natsu." Akio warned. Blue eyes darted everywhere before he finally said. "Haven't you noticed the suited men every where this morning? They're following you, Natsu, and they've been asking around even before you arrived. What the heck did you do this time round?"

He opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off.

"No don't answer. Let me bet. You decided to hack into some government's network this time round, find some confidential information and memorize them with your photographic memory, and then leave a present surprise for them, mainly in the form of a virus." Akio finished, throwing his hands up into the air. Natsuki flinched at the stares they were attracting. "Woo hoo! And now, you're wanted by the government for committing an illegal, online crime, aren't you?"

As if responding to Akio's words, an announcement started.

"_Will Natsuki Tsukiyomi-kun come to the office now?"_

"Great, just great." Akio sighed in exasperation. "I'm happy to have been your friend, Natsu, seriously."

The blond boy only rolled his eyes and collected his bag. Before leaving, he said a final thing to his 'friend'.

"Curiosity may have killed the cat, Akio, but satisfaction revived it."

-x-

"Arigato, Fuu-sensei, for guiding me to this room," He gave his hundred watt smile, mustering all the sweetness he could into this one expression.

The middle-aged lady swooned at his cuteness, lifting a hand up to a cheek as if flustered. Regaining her composure, the teacher quickly shook her head in rapid denial, murmuring 'No, no, not at all!' under her breath before reluctantly closing the door behind her.

The smile dropped as soon as she left the room.

Natsuki allowed nonchalance and boredom to refill the blank canvas which was his face as he sat down on an office couch, red eyes boring into the few suited men, who seemed thoroughly taken aback by his sudden switch of composure. The one in the middle though, only seemed amused.

His blond hair – a darker tinge than Natsuki's own – was swept back and held there with gel, whereas a pair of round glasses framed the amber eyes and sharp features, making him seem softer than Natsuki knows he really is. Dressed in a white suit, his legs were crossed on the opposite couch and hands supporting his chin in an intelligent manner.

"Kaname Mozunoto-san," Natsuki dipped his head as a greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Natsuki Tsukiyomi-kun," The blond man only seemed more amused now. "I see you have done your research thoroughly, haven't you?"

"It's hard not to be curious about the man – only several years older than myself – who's the director of the Team Summer project." Natsuki shrugged nonchalantly. "Not to mention, you're related to a minister within my own country, and your childhood incident appeared several times on the news."

"So you don't deny having seen the Team Summer documents." Kaname lifted a brow in surprise. This child, younger than Ango, certainly seemed intelligent.

"There's no use denying now, is there?"

"Indeed," Kaname smiled, leaning back in his seat. "I'm glad that you decided not to resist. If you had, then perhaps, we would have had to take more…precautionary measures."

Meaning death, as both of them know it.

"Are you going to kill me now?" Natsuki shot. If they were going to talk about this, he might as well cut straight to the point.

"Killing is not an option for the government, so no, we are not." Such a lie.

"Well…That's a disappointment."

His words made Kaname's brows fly up to above his hairline.

"If you killed me, then the software I've made would have divulged the truth to the mass public. It would have been interesting to see how things play out from there, even if I'm no longer amongst the living." Natsuki chuckled smugly at the shock that played out on the guards' faces. Kaname's eyes widened slightly, not having expected this.

"…You're certainly one odd little genius, aren't you, Natsuki-kun?" Kaname finally said quietly.

"No more than you, Kaname-san, afterall, the true geniuses only think about the best for the entire humanity instead of certain individuals." Natsuki shot back. Kaname blatantly ignored the sarcasm.

"Putting this aside, I have a small notice to make, Natsuki-kun," Kaname folded his arms. "At nine a.m., this morning, your neighbours reported an odd stench coming from your house, and the paramedics arrived to find that she has died of alcohol poisoning. Do you have anything that you want to say to that?"

Natsuki froze.

His troublesome sister had gone and died.

The coldness at the pit of his stomach gradually rose up again, threatening to suffocate him. Yet, at the same time, there was an overwhelming sense of relief. He was finally free from the chains which bounded him to that house. Freedom was finally in his hands.

Kaname's glasses glinted almost smugly at the first reaction he garnered.

Quickly catching himself, Natsuki rolled his eyes and forced a smirk.

"Good riddance, I thought that woman will never be gone."

The guards seemed angered and shocked, yet Kaname only smiled back. He was strangely pleased by the nonchalance which Natsuki reacted with to his guardian's death, and Natsuki knew immediately that he had said the wrong thing.

"With the lack of a guardian, you are hereby declared as an orphan, and has been put up for adoption just several hours ago," Kaname said. "And I'm sure you know what this means, don't you?"

Natsuki stilled.

The gears in his brain ran at top speed, before his gaze transformed into a wide, vicious glare.

"No." Even death would have been more preferable than this. "No."

Kaname smiled, leaned forward and patted his head, in that fake brotherly visage which he probably had reserved for the potential candidates of Team Summer.

"Welcome to Team Summer, little brother."

-x-

What's ending now perhaps isn't the world, but _my_ world.

-x-

A/N: I'm sure everyone reading my story right now is at some point of their lives, fond of the manga 7 Seeds. As a similar fan of the story, I immediately leapt to its fanfiction site after finishing the current volumes of 7 Seeds, only to be disappointed by the obvious lack of stories. I mean, come on! I understand why many would blanch at the idea of writing a fanfic for 7 Seeds, but there really ought to be more love. And since I'd rather not be a hypocrite, _I've decided to start this story, if only to show everyone that 7Seeds is writable._ I'm not confident that I will see this story to an end, and there will not be frequent updates, but even with the other devotions I have, I promise I'll try my best and complete this fanfic.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

-x-

When he was young, his parents had committed suicide right before him and his sister's eyes. With the pistol pointed towards themselves, they had the gal to smile at a five year old and a teenager, saying the words 'Taidaima' (I'm home) warmly before shooting their brains off. Back then, his sister had hugged him tightly, rocking back and forth in fear as though trying to comfort him, yet he refused to shed a single tear.

When the yakuza came up to their doorsteps, demanding for his non-existent parents, he did not so much as bat an eyelash and blankly told them to fuck off. The hits and sounds of breaking bones did not manage to force even a groan from him, and even as his sister's weak figure was sobbing for mercy as they raped her, he did not utter a sound.

When his sister turned abusive, he merely smirked at her, forcing her to direct her anger at him. It did not matter how much she hit or tried to strangle him, he was already desensitized to these happenings and the bleeding gashes formed by the shattered remains of his 'family'. The true 'Natsuki', the cold hearted one, then turned to hacking and working indirectly with the mafia through the networks, destroying the lives of many other people. Their pleas for mercy did not once deter him from doing his job.

Yet when the government threatened the lives of a few hundred kids, Natsuki found himself giving in to the demands of the unreasonable group. It did not make sense why he would do such a thing. They're all going to die in three more years anyway in that final exam. Yet, he did it.

In return for an added year of their lives, he was now supposed to enter the Training Camp, help the instructors (he refused to say 'teachers' as teachers are supposed to be emotionally involved with their jobs) in setting up better security systems to prevent a repeat of his incident, monitor the group as Kaname's younger brother, and finally, bring his science and technological skills into the future.

How…troublesome.

It would have been easier to let them die.

The thought resounded through his mind now as he stared, half at his own reflection in the window and the other half busying itself with memorising the layout of this land.

They had only allowed him to drop by his house to pick up some basic essentials, along with what instruments he would need in his newfound 'job', before they blindfolded him and brought him to this strange land. The blindfold was gone now though, taken off by that wretched Kaname.

"Are you feeling carsick, Natsuki-kun?" Said wretched man asked.

The blond boy twitched, burrowing his nose deeper into his red muffler to stamp away the whisper that slipped passed his lips.

"I hate you."

Kaname's sharp hearing still picked up on his words despite that, and he only chuckled.

Eyes were drawn to the vehicle as the wooden sheds loomed closer – and the strange foreign outsider who is the first that has ever entered this land.

An hour later found him standing before a mass of fourteen year olds, thoroughly examined and prodded by the countless number of stares filled with utmost curiosity and wariness. Natsuki heaved a sigh, burying the lower half of his face beneath the red muffler as a means of comfort. Subconsciously, he dropped a hand into a pocket, the other wrapping tighter around his laptop. Directing a distant gaze out of the window, he willed himself to ignore the events within the room.

"…Natsuki-kun is specially chosen out of the population for his well-versed skills in the area of technology and sciences, such that a seat amongst the chosen ones has even been opened up and reserved for him. So even if he does not originate from here, do remember to respect him and treat him as one of your own…" Kaname's voice droned on.

The blond ten year old could only hide a bitter scowl behind his muffler.

Such a lie Kaname sure puts up. The only reason why he was chosen was because he had the 'summer' in his name and conveniently knows the truth.

He continued zoning out until the low drone of Kaname's voice finally came to an end.

"Gengoro, please guide Natsuki-kun around for the first few days that he is here." The blonde gave a nod of acknowledgement to one of the taller teens.

Lifting his head up, red eyes appraised the long raven hair and kind brown eyes that shone with slight excitement and warm acceptance. 'Gengoro' nodded towards him, gesturing for Natsuki to accompany him.

The short blond boy was all too happy to leave Kaname's side when the commanding voice intoned once again.

"Natsuki-kun, please remember to complete the assignment I gave you within a week." Amber eyes peered warningly into his own.

The smaller blonde clenched his fists, and red eyes glared stonily back at the adult. Creating a software to protect things was an easy feat for him, but when stacked against all the other hackers and for a cause he would never support, the task somehow became ten times harder.

Nevertheless, he swallowed his pride and gazed straight ahead.

"Got it." Keep it short and simple, Natsuki, or things will become even more meddlesome.

Sitting down next to the much larger sized Gengoro, he closed his eyes and ignored the many stares drawn to his body.

"Now, we shall begin the day with the song…'Morning Mood'."

Ango was not sure how he was supposed to react to the boy from the outside. On one hand, he wanted to approach the boy to get a deeper inspection of his skills, but on the other, the fact that the boy already has the ticket to the future without working for it like they are doing made him want to give a punch to his face. Never mind the fact that Natsuki is much younger than they are.

"A…Ango, what's wrong? You look murderous," Shigeru hesitantly brought him out of his thoughts.

The raven headed adolescent only huffed, folding his arms closer around himself as he looked away, staring harder at the blond boy oblivious to his ongoing storm of thoughts. Shigeru looked crestfallen that his friend ignored him and sighed.

"You can't really blame him now, Shigeru!" Koruri intervened, jumping on the reddish-brown haired boy. She continued with a cheeky, teasing grin. "Afterall, Natsuki-kun is already selected to be one of the chosen ones to go into the future despite being untrained!"

"Shut up, Koruri!" Ango gritted his teeth in irritation and scowled.

"Well…It's not like I can't understand his feelings," Mayu smiled, hovering around her best friend. "We're all working so hard, yet he's already selected."

"Let's not forget the fact that a space was opened up specially for him!" Nobara pointed out.

The rambunctious girl trio was complete. Ango exhaled sharply, diverting his gaze away from the blond boy. It doesn't matter anyway, he told himself. When they go to the future, skills are what matters, and it wouldn't be a matter of status or family relations. Natsuki will not last long compared to them.

Though, that doesn't mean it shouldn't vex him at all.

"Natsuki, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" Gengoro's voice drifted over to them.

Looking over to the animal lover's table, Ango could see the taller teen leaning over the boy, his eyes furrowed into an expression of concern which is usually granted to the animals. The boy, on the other hand, only heaved a sigh, pushing open his laptop with unnecessary force.

He's angry. Ango recognized with the skills he learnt in fire class.

"Gengoro, the things on today's menu…" The boy trailed off, fisting his muffler like a subconscious habit. "Were the ingredients all gathered by yourselves, or are they already provided by the instructors?"

"With the exception of the winter period, the cooking team usually just gather our own ingredients from the wilderness, though most meals are inclusive of the crops we grow and animals we rear…Why do you ask?" Gengoro questioned, increasingly concerned.

"It's nothing," Natsuki sighed, dropping his face in his palms. To Ango though, the slight green in his face was blindingly obvious.

Ango snorted. Knowing how carefree people from the outside are, the boy's probably thinking about his turn to do the cooking – with all the trouble of cutting up the meat and skinning the animals which he heard normal people wouldn't get a chance to experience outside. He'd bet the boy is disgusted by all these.

Not even five minutes in this institution, and the child already needs some babying.

Oblivious to their eavesdropper, Gengoro only leaned in closer.

"Natsuki…Are you…a vegetarian?" The whispered question made Ango blink in surprise.

"Well…I…" Natsuki seems lost.

"It's nothing shameful to be a vegetarian here, Natsuki," Gengoro, bless his kind heart, smiled. "I don't know how people may be on the outside, but many of the students in the animal class are vegetarians themselves. We usually have one person in the cooking team so our meals are accounted for, so I'm sure making the meals for one more wouldn't make much of a difference."

"…That's…" Natsuki sighed. "Are any of the dishes on the menu today vegetarian?"

"The curry is, although it's done by Koruri." Gengoro pointed out.

Although…Indeed. Behind Koruri's back, Ango smirked to himself, drawing a questioning glance from the said girl and Shigeru.

He watched as Natsuki examined the curry warily, eyes flickering back to his laptop screen (come to think of it, that's the first time he's ever seen one in real life) occasionally. Finally, the blonde boy resigned himself to his fate and lifted the spoon to his mouth.

"How was it?" Gengoro questioned, amused by his dramatic antics.

"Oversalted."

Ango snickered. The first comment and it already hit home.

"Hey! That's incredibly rude of you, isn't it?!" Koruri stomped her way to the new comer, a less than happy pout planted on her face. "And to think I worked so hard on that dish just because I knew you'd come!"

Mayu and Nobara trailed after her as they always had, Mayu with an apologetic smile directed politely at the new boy, and Nobara with her arm folded, lips scowling in agreement.

"Come on, Koruri…I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm by his comment…" Mayu chided.

"Though it's still quite rude and he owns her an apology." Nobara pointed out.

Ango remained watching as the attention of surrounding students were piqued by the scene Koruri was making.

"Gomen," The direct apology made to Koruri startled everyone, as they thought he'd be another impudent, obstinate brat like Ango, since most of the other people here were at that age. The boy's mind was no longer on the debate though.

"There are several ways of fixing an oversalted curry or soup, one of which includes adding large potato cubes to the mix and letting its flavour soak in it for four to five minutes before removing the potatoes. The flavour of the potatoes will then cover up extra saltiness. Besides that, you could also add corn flour to absorb the extra salt. Should the curry get lumpy with this method, adding more water will always cure it of its lumpiness." Natsuki blinked. "For the reason why corn flour is used though, more research will be substantial before I can get back to you on this."

Koruri blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the daze his words put her under. Likewise, Ango could only stare, wide-eyed, at the barrage of words that spilled out. What was he? A cook?

"…Natsuki, write me a report about that."

Ango jumped at the voice of the man behind him, calming his racing heart as he stared at Kaname in bewilderment. The man only remained ever smiling.

"I was already planning to do that, although…" Red eyes narrowed, staring at Kaname with the blankest and coldest gaze Ango has ever seen directed at the man. "I am not compelled to write it to _you_ now, am I? As far as I am concerned, scientific matters will only be reported to my science instructor."

"Who will be me." Kaname followed without missing a beat.

The animosity between the two was stifling. Ango could feel his throat constricting at the sparks coming from the friction between their gazes until Natsuki looked away. And as if coming to a tacit agreement, Kaname walked out as well.

The rapid furious punching of letters on the keyboard were all that were heard from Natsuki for the rest of breakfast.

-x-

Since the ancient times, adaption has always been the key to humanity's survival. For instance, in a time difference of up to 800,000 years ago, the sizes of human brains started increasing very slowly, with new generations possessing almost 125000 more neurons than their previous generations so as to improve providence and be able to plan and adapt for a harsher life ahead.

Being one of those new humans now, Natsuki was determined to adapt to his new regime, no matter how much he loathed the instructors for the things they are doing.

In the mornings, he would wake up earlier than usual to a cup of coffee and sit in the dining room to do a sweep of his laptop – and by indirect connection, the one of the institution's system – before working on the myriad of programmes they've been making him chunk out consistently. Then, breakfast will proceed smoothly over a pleasant discussion with Gengoro, giving him a deeper understanding of animals.

This was followed by science classes with Kaname and several other scientists visiting occasionally. However much he despised the man, Natsuki knew the information provided were often useful, and like a sponge, persistently absorbed them all. The technology classes handed out by professionals then gave him a more in-depth understanding of the computer networks, as well as the various power sources he could make to power his laptop in the wilderness.

The physical exercises though, were a chore. Even though he was considerably fit for someone of the population, accommodating to the tasking things the others were trained to do was torturous. Even Shigeru, who supposedly has the least stamina, managed to beat him. With a month of hard work though, he was gradually catching up.

Dinner was a quiet affair, discounting the cooking lessons Koruri will occasionally demand from him whenever she's on duty. The day is then closed off with another one of Kaname's tasteless songs and they rest fitfully.

The routine was repeated countless days, countless months, until the others turned fifteen.

Shooting practice begun for everyone.

For Natsuki, it was just another easy task added to the multiple ones already on his list. Given his experience in gaming before all this even started, aiming was more than easy enough. The only thing he needed to manage is the recoil of the gun, though that could easily be maintained by increasing his stability.

"Listen. We don't know what kind of living beings will be in the future you go to. There could be an invasion from the other countries for all we know. If you're going to fight and protect the lives of Japanese people…" Unami barked. "You have to at least be able to shoot!"

**Bang.**

How tasteless, Natsuki thought dryly to himself.

**Bang.**

He had no doubt about the meteorites hitting Earth now, after seeing how much effort they are putting in all this. They're probably frightened that the other countries will attack them for their resources.

**Bang. Bang Bang.**

He retracted the gun blankly, gazing off at the single hole that is on the target.

"All through a single spot? I expected no less from you, Natsuki." Kaname's comment was not pleasing in the slightest.

Tilting his head to the side, the younger blonde observed 'the best's astonished expression, shrugging at the widened eyes of their resident rebel and genius. Both Ango and Ryo seemed thoroughly impressed by his performance.

"One was off by a centimetre when I shot. That one was lucky." He announced.

"You should just accept the compliment, Natsuki," Gengoro chided from beside him, his face beaming brightly. "You did well, even though it's not perfect."

Natsuki blinked and sighed, quickly giving in to his friend's words.

Even though it's only been a short three months, Gengoro has quickly become his best friend, seeing how they each have their own quirks. For Gengoro, the fact that he always smelt of animals deterred most of the institute's childish teens from seeing his generous personality. And on the other hand, Natsuki's personality acted as a wall for them to scale before they could even make an impression on him. Since they do not bother each other and Gengoro next to never asks him any questions about his personal life, they clicked easily with each other.

"And why are you so happy?" He boredly lifted a brow questioningly, if only to drag out this conversation. "You're still in the average range, Gengoro."

"Well, it's fine, isn't it?" The light smile on the youth's face irked him.

"No, it'd be troublesome." He didn't want his only friend to die afterall.

" 'It'd'? Don't you mean 'it's'? Your language is suffering." Gengoro pointed out.

"I don't need obnoxious people to tell me that."

"So I'm obnoxious now?"

Natsuki rolled his eyes, glancing out of the corner of his eyes as Unami withheld a girl and began his usual antagonizing over her failure in hitting the target.

"So she's going to be the next one." He thought aloud softly.

"Next?"

Natsuki cocked his head, examining the sharp features that turned to look at him in confusion. Ango, the favoured child of Kaname, had been cheering on the girl with his friends when he heard the comment of the boy. But as usual, he – like all the rest – did not know a single thing about whose hands their lives are in.

Ignorant fools.

Natsuki barely batted an eyelash as his wretched 'brother' appeared behind Ango, his eyes boring into him warningly.

"No, it's nothing." The blonde dismissed as he walked off, leaving behind Ango to ponder upon his words.

When will someone finally discover the dark truth of this ominous institute? Ryou seems to be the closest one to it currently, but that revered genius of Kaname's isn't even close.

-x-

"Oi, it stinks." The annoyed twinge in the other blonde's voice was sufficient as a warning. He was going to go off again on something.

Natsuki scowled and grabbed another tray besides his own, filling it with double the servings he would normally eat. Since Gengoro was going to be singled out and forced to go back again, he might as well getting something for the other while he's in line.

"Someone stinks. OI!" Ryou yelled to the room of youths. "Don't come to the dining hall like that!"

"Hai. (Here.)" Natsuki deadpanned, setting the tray before his well-mannered friend.

"Ah, arigato," Gengoro replied absent-mindedly, sniffing at himself. "Huh? I guess the stench is because of me. I slaughtered a cow today and tanned its skin. I took a shower though. Should I take another one?" He rose to his feet as he asked.

"Don't." Natsuki deadpanned. "Either that, or we'll go out to barbeque again tonight. But either ways, I wouldn't be listening to him if I were you."

"That's right, Gengoro." A third voice mildly took Natsuki by surprise. Ango rose with a determined glint in his eyes. "It's alright. Sit down and eat."

The sheer agitation in the youth's tone made Natsuki tense. Oh gods…He's probably going to do something stupid now.

The blond haired child frowned as Ango stood up and stepped on Ryou's shoes.

"What are these shoes made of?! What is your meal made of…which you're eating now?! Ryou?!" The teen yelled, unusually frazzled by Ryou's comment.

This wouldn't be good.

Natsuki sighed.

Jeez, he did not sacrifice himself just to save a bunch of bumbling fools who are more likely to end up dead by each other's hands. What's more irritating is the fact that the person in question, Gengoro, did not even care about this argument at all.

"Ango, it's alright, you don't have to do this." His weak protests though went unheard in the anger that clouded the boy's mind.

"I guess I'll have to settle with you once and for all." Ryou smirked as he stood.

Then as the two boys exchanged fists, Natsuki scowled.

"Hey! Stop it!"

"Stop it at once, you two!" Takashi shouted as the teachers rushed in to see the commotion.

"Itadakimasu." Natsuki ate in silence, ignoring Gengoro's sweatdrop.

-x-

"What do you think about him?" The question was a simple, but also complicated one.

Natsuki refused to look away from his phone's screen.

"He's simple-minded."

Immediately, his surrogate brother burst out in a fit of chuckles.

"He is, isn't he? But then again, that is one of his good traits. In here though, it will be a bad characteristic." Kaname's glasses flashed in its usual mocking manner, a mimicry of a maniac scientist.

Natsuki peeled his eyes off to glance warily in the man's direction.

"Are you going to extinguish it?" He didn't know if Kaname would, because that good trait was also the one which won Kaname over, even if he wasn't sure whether Kaname was conscious of this fact.

"Who knows." That answer is dangerous, always. Kaname smiled. "Perhaps, I will have to let him see the reality of life soon."

"He is but a mere teenager. It is natural to rely on the people around him for moral support." Natsuki spoke up for Ango. This was no longer all that uncommon since he was thrusted into this place. A lot of people have been dying, and he'd rather not let his sacrifice be in vain.

"Oh? Are you getting attached to him, Natsuki?" Under the teasing question was a trap. "Then all the more we should do it, if we want him to survive."

Great. Way to make him regret opening his big, fat mouth.

Natsuki decided to keep quiet for the rest of their journey, until the sound of voices drifted over to him.

"…It's proof enough that I've been in the disciplinary room 22 times, but I'm still here." Natsuki paused with Kaname as they hid in the shadows. "I…see how things stand. That's why I'm sure Shigeru is no good. And you too, since you spend time with him."

The whisper quietened.

"But well…since you're made from the same cloth as I am, so maybe you'll make it."

"How am I like you?! In what way?! That's right, apologize to Gengoro!"

Natsuki facepalmed at the volume, ignoring the chuckles of his supposed older brother.

"Hey, the guard is coming."

Here, they finally decided to reveal themselves.

Natsuki remained emotionless as they walked out of the shadows, Kaname pretending that he did not hear their previous conversation at all.

"Have you considered your actions?"

"Well, yes."

"Quite a lot."

How about a no?

Natsuki could feel the curious stare of Ango on his frame, and he blinked back at the boy with red eyes until he nodded in greeting.

Dipping his head in a small nod back, Natsuki suddenly felt a rush of sympathy for Ango.

Kaname had allowed their conversation to continue, most likely only because it will help Ango to shed doubts on the things he has been doing up to now. He plans to make Ango rely on more people for help, before snatching away that rapport to strengthen the poor guy again.

Because he likes him, that's why he have to be more cruel to him?

What a joke.

Being favoured by Kaname sure is hard.

"…Ango, from today onwards, Natsuki will be moving in with you so please look after him."

…What.

Red eyes flickered up to his brother's features, narrowing into a glare as a shout burst out from Ango's direction simultaneously.

"WHAT?!"

"Why." Natsuki chose a flatter and more reasonable approach.

"Because Natsuki," That annoying spectacles shone again. "As an already confirmed member of the group going to the future, even though you have the required skills, you have done nothing to socialize with anyone over the past year. I believe that staying with someone like Ango will serve you well in getting out of your self-imposed isolation, wouldn't it?"

His eye twitched multiple times in irritation.

Finally, he closed them and turned away.

"Fine."

"B-But I don't get it, Kaname-san! Why me?!" Ango's protests came.

"Because you're a candidate with one of the highest potential of being selected." Kaname said simply, and Ryou twitched.

From the corner of his eyes, Natsuki could tell that Ryou realized that they eavesdropped.

He sighed as Kaname and Ango continued talking.

"Since I'm no longer needed, can I leave? The system's fixed, isn't it?" He interrupted.

A glance, a nod and he was free to go.

-x-

_Kaname's words resounded for some time before Natsuki came to a decision._

_Backing away from them, he was all too prepared to bite off his tongue when a cloth was pulled around his mouth. One of the guards had stood behind him. He narrowed his eyes when he realized everything was planned and cursed mentally._

_The scent of chloroform assaulted him, inviting black dots into his vision._

"_No…" He forced out, panic being drowned out by his desperation. "No…"_

_The last thing he saw before all went black was the casual, fixed smile plastered over Kaname's face._

_When he woke up, he found himself bounded to a chair in front of a huge monitor screen._

_Was it all a dream? That is an assumption too sweet to be true._

_Natsuki squeezed his eyes closed, gathering his composure before opening them once more. The gears in his mind raced as he drew up the plan in his head._

_There was nothing much they can do to him – nothing much which does not involve killing or torturing of some form, anyways. At best, they will kill him immediately or after some form of torture. At worse, they can just bound him to this chair until the day came when the rest of Summer Team are ready for the capsule, but that's just impossible given his current level of skill. He's far too weak currently to not drag them down._

_Besides, they know he will kill himself off the moment they get into the future. So what do they plan to do?_

_The sound of a door opening caught his attention._

_Natsuki narrowed his eyes as Kaname stepped in, that usual annoying smile still planted all over his face._

"_Killing and not killing…are those thoughts surrounding your mind now?" He responded with silence and Kaname's smile grew just a little wider. "In just a moment, you would learn that suicide is not an option. Not for you, anyways."_

_There was a clicking sound and the screen flicked to live._

_Red eyes widened at the well-like container shone and the churning red liquid within. Natsuki flinched. The only thing preventing him from showing more of his horror was Kaname's presence._

"_From your reaction, it appears that you are knowledgeable of this part of our project. But knowing and seeing people die…The two brings out different reactions. Just like that with your sister, after seeing this, I wonder if you will still laugh." Kaname analyzed coldly._

_There was a teenage girl standing before the crevice._

_With wide eyes and shaking head, the girl appeared mildly confused about being brought to such a place. Run! She should be running far away from the device, far away from that accursed island. From behind her appeared a gruff blond male with a sly smile. The microphone made their words audible._

"_This is where all the meat and blood and brains are mixed together to form the fertilisers." He lectured with a disconcerting smile. "The project funds are running a bit low, you see? All the pills and land and resources…It requires a lot. So we need to be self-sufficient." _

_Natsuki could feel that other part of him rouse – the one which remained nonchalant throughout the suicide of his parents, the raping of his sister, the death of his sister._

"_Whatever is useless goes down here so that it can be reused." The girl finally seems to get his insinuation. "Including humans."_

"_No…NO!" He grabbed her before she could run, throwing her down into the device._

_The sound of her scream resounded in the large room as her bones and flesh were grinded. Her screams lasted for what seem like forever before everything fell silent, one whimper or two dying out under the sound of the machine._

_The man grinned into the camera and the monitor flickered off._

"_After seeing that video, I hope you have changed your mind." Kaname turned to him blankly._

"_Not in the least." Natsuki forced out, turning to aim an empty look at the adult. _

"_Oh?" Kaname smiled._

"_Like planned, I will still commit suicide given the chance. I will even hinder your plans as much as my ability allows, so you may as well kill me now." He promised._

"_After seeing that much, you still don't understand?" _

_Natsuki flinched when the man crouched in front of him, that usual eerie smile planted all over his face. Silence echoed until Natsuki's patience died out, pushing him to croak out one awkward question._

"…_What…?"_

"_I would like to make a contract with you, Natsuki-kun." Kaname suddenly spoke. "In exchange for one additional year of the subjects' lifespan, I would like you to promise me that you will not kill yourself until you are in the future. When you are there, you can do whatever you wish – Even kill the subjects if you think you have the ability to. I will not be of any concern then."_

_Natsuki blinked._

"_And why should I care for those kids?" He questioned._

"_That is a question for me to ask and you to answer." Kaname smirked._

_Natsuki narrowed his eyes, silently seething at the man._

_He hates him._

_The man reads through all his cards so easily, messing up his thoughts._

_One epiphany came to him, and Natsuki felt a chill run down his spine. _

_Perhaps…everything was planned to begin with._

_Natsuki had thought that the security on the 7 seeds project was far too weak too weak to begin with, as if they were daring someone to come and bring down its firewalls. Perhaps, they had planned to capture someone like him. To make him one of Team Summer's so that things would not be ruined due to a lack of knowledge on technology._

_He had raced right into their trap._

_He did not have any control to begin with._

_As Natsuki started to feel resigned for the first time, Kaname only smiled slyly just as he always does._

_Natsuki thought of the teenagers in that isolated island, just sitting ducks for death. They didn't realize a single thing; They were just living from day to day, training in hopes of going into the future. Orphans, parentless like him; Yet treated like objects due to the cruel heartedness of the scientists who brought them to existence._

_Dying now or later…The only difference it makes it for them. _

_Perhaps, in that one year time he gives them, they may be able to find out the truth and leave the place. Perhaps, they may even bring revenge to these stupid men for him – by escaping and spilling the truth to the world. Perhaps…_

_For the first time, Natsuki decided to do something for others instead._

_With gritted teeth, the boy relinquished his freedom. _

"_Fine. I agree to your contract."_

-x-

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